Casual Heroing

Chapter 163: Pyromancer

Ok, I have to admit Im very disappointed. I was expecting much more than this. Look, maybe my expectations were too high. Yeah, maybe. But this place is just

It has the same grit and dueling feeling a girls soccer field has. Minus the hot single moms cheering for their daughters on the bleachers. So, what am I even doing here?

[Archmage] Marcus nods at me wisely from a stand with barely four rows of seats. Oh, come on. This is just humiliating. I mean, I dont want the whole tournament experience, but at least give me something!

The field is ridiculous and has wild grass growing all over it. The bleachers are pathetically small. Is this how my tournament arc starts?

When I look at the center of the arena, I can see my first adversary.

Its a woman.

Shes clearly overweight and has thinning hair and puffy cheeks. I have to say, at least she has red hair. Adriana told me my first enemy was a [Pyromancer]. Well, fire is red; shes a redhead. Also, she has a pretty cool robe and jewelry. Her robe is red again, yeah, you are a [Pyromancer], we get it. A big golden belt on her stomachdude, like who gives you fashion advice? Thats not a good look on you, girl.

But even from a great distance, I can spot two big golden earrings with rubies. Oh, thats a proper artifact now. Still a bit cringy with all this red, but it is what it is.

Yo! Is this it?! We just start fighting?! I shout toward the bleachers where Marcus and Stan are.

They nod, and I feel Adriana pass by me and walk between me and the woman on the other side. Adriana, unlike Marcus, has purplish scales. They are a weird combination of blue and purple. When I say weird, I mean that they blend in very unusual patterns. Shes quite pretty, to be honest.

Ill be presiding all the matches today! Adrianas voice suddenly booms. Joey Luciani has come to the Nine Towers Academy to humiliate [Mages]!

What? What have I come for, sorry?

He said he could single-handedly defeat every single [Mage] of his generation!

That elicits a storm of boos from the bleachers. Its bleachers where, in the best-case scenario, there are around a hundred people. How is this even a thing now? Where have I ended up? Is this WrestleMania? Is Adriana actually Vince McMahon? And why is she trying to rile up such a small crowd?

Dude, listen, I tell the woman, Can we cut this shit out? Im dead tired. I dont even swear usually. I just want to sleep.

Apparently, Joey Luciani cant be bothered by these duels! So much he says hell sleep through them!

What?

As I turn to the bleachers, I can see that Atticus, Lucinda, and Augustus have come too. Oh, thats nice. I mean, two out of three there are probably hoping Ill get killed or something, but still.

Are you ready for a battery of duels? So far, you have only used [Dispel] on my and the books spells. Thats not a great representation of real-world combat.

Thank you for pointing that out seconds before the actual duels, Lord Juler.

If you want, I can take over and teach those [Mages] a lesson. You have important research to take care of. Even as a student of a Vanedeni, Id simply consider this below you. There would be nothing dishonorable in

Its fine. Its fine. Ive seen some people casting spells around here. If shes anything like them, its not going to be a problem.

Looking again at the crowd, I notice that [Archmage] Titus has not come. Huh, hes probably still angry at Marcus, isnt he?

Worm! the fat [Pyromancer] shouts at me.

Yo, I wave. Also, Im unable to suppress a yawn. Oof, sorry about that. Ive not slept tonight.

HA! Were you pissing yourself, worm?

I mean, is this worm thing such big a deal? Like, why are Humans worms and Elves not? I could see Dragons or Werewolves calling a Human a worm for the lack of scales or fur. But Elves?

Im going to destroy him! the ugly woman shouts to the crowd.

Ok?

He will beg for his life, and then I will stomp on his skull! she continues.

I look at Princess Laura on the stands. Shes on her feet, not sitting like the others. And, unlike what you would think, she doesnt have the kindest of gazes while looking at me.

Yo, woman. I think you are making my girlfriend, the Princess, jealous. She has stomping precedence on my skull.

Hes trying to intimidate me by putting royalty in the middle! But he doesnt know

Oh, dude. This is unbelievable. Come on, just shut up and lets get this started. I want to go back to bed. This is so contrived. Please, lets drop the act. This is not a McGregor match, is it?

Can we start? irritation starts mounting in me, more for the lack of sleep than being actually offended.

The Human cant wait! Adriana keeps her cringy act up.

Should I kill the worm?! the [Pyromancer] shouts to a little group on the stands that immediately jumps up and starts cheering.

They want to eliminate you.

Yeah. I saw, Lord Juler.

You should kill the woman and make an example out of her.

Sure, why not. Lets just engage in casual murdering.

The rules are simple! Adriana goes on. The first to break the others shield wins! You can carry artifacts as long as they do not pose a mortal threat to your opponent!

Oh, so thats how it works.

I had actually forgotten to ask about the rules of duels. Shield-breaking? Man, this will be a piece of cake.

[Mages], raise your shields!

You know, I like some good smack-talk and tainting. Plus, its not like I have any intentions of letting this woman prolong the duel.

[Advanced Hexagonal Three-Folded Shield]

I just create a small one, a foot by foot, shield at my side.

I think shes shouting something more, but Im done playing.

[Single-Minded Focus]

[Advanced Mana Sense]

I can see through my skill shes trying to conjure her shield. It looks like a [Fireball] spell badly distorted to form a sheet of fire mid-air. It would be a real pity if someone tried to

[Light]

[Light]

I put two matrixes inside her forming shield. The spell matrix that should have formed the shield distorts and dissolves into nothingness in a second. Looking at the spell, I notice a very distinct lack of polarity. Therefore, I basically put in two magnets in succession, creating a big distortion field. If you cant see your own matrixes, its basically impossible to understand what happened. Or that it has happened.

In fact, the woman doesnt even realize it for a few seconds. She just looks smug until she finally recognizes that her casting is taking longer than usual. Then, she furrows hershe has brown eyebrows? Huh. She dyes her hair, then. That could explain why its falling out, probably bad reagents.

Anyway, she tries again.

And guess what.

[Light]

This time, I only use one, and her spell matrix crumbles again.

Yo, cant you even cast a shied? I say while yawning and resting my body against the small shield Ive conjured.